At The Summit
by cassidytheoddball
Summary: Lynette is happy living with her husband, Connar. They both have status and money, although they lead simple lives. Mist is also happy living in Kardia. But lately, both have been having misgivings and quarrels with the Sechs Empire... T for safety.
1. Characters and Reference

Disclaimer- I don't own Rune Factory, this never happened in the game, blah, blah, blah...

* * *

Characters (credit to for the pictures except Winnie's, Joshua's, Connar/Raguna's, Malsuerte's, and Persephone's)

The Important Ones:

**Connar/Raguna**

This man is two different people in one body, almost. Formerly married to Lynette, his memory loss was as good as a divorce. He has no idea he's being uses by the Sechs Empire as a tool to get what they want- ultimate power. That is, until he re-meets a stranger with bubble-gum hair and velvety brown eyes...  
For the majority of the story, he is quiet, pensive, and a bit of an introvert. Slow to anger, slow to forgive, he's got an old soul.

**Lynette**

The sophisticated Major Lieutenant Commander in the Sechs Empire. She brought her world crashing down around her by her own accountability, although she didn't know that it would happen. Her views on emotions are similar to that of much of the Sechs Empire- they are a weakness, not to be entertained for long. But guess what? Lynette secretly indulges in them whenever she can.

**Mist**

A strange girl, on all accounts. She seems to have an unhealthy infatuation with turnips, and often strays from her original topic, 'coz she's a SPACE CADET. But the village in which she has resided in for the past three years loves her for it. But would they still love her if they found out she was a spy for the Sechs Empire? Good thing she's defected to their side, perhaps on the account of a certain boy. But she did so too late... Things were set into motion that could not be undone.

**King Malsuerte**

Cruel, heartless, and cold as stone. But it wasn't always this way.

**Lady Persephone**

Every bit as horrible as her husband. Some say she's even worse.

* * *

The Library Family  
**Russel**

Oh, he's such a softie! He's the perfect image of a quiet librarian. But he rarely talks of his past, like many others in Kardia. What's there to hide?

**Cecilia**

Awwww, she's so cute! She's only six, and has charmed every person she's ever encountered. Russel found her, abandoned, and adopted her, but she doesn't yet know this.

* * *

The General Store Family  
**Rosetta**

Rosetta is Jean's daughter and she helps her father out at his General Store. She's an excellent businesswoman, and everyday she comes to Raguna's farm to pick up the items he's placed in his Shipping Bin. Rosetta is a bit tom-boyish, and always likes to compete with Mist. She's also selfish and a huge flirt. She probably has no interest in Lukas because she likes to be the one making the moves, so his extreme attention isn't a turnon for her.

**Jean**

Soft, a terrible bussinessman, and a little bit gay. People wonder of he really had a wife or if he just adopted.

* * *

He Who Runs And Lives At The Bar  
**Emmett**

Never married. You have to wonder...

* * *

The Innkeepers and Customers  
**Lady Ann**

Poor lady. Her husband died and left her trying to keep track of that hyperactive booger, Zavier... Really, though. Her husband went out into a snowstorm one winter years ago and never came back. It sometimes bothers her to look at her own son, because he resembles his father so strongly.

**Zavier**

Some girls think he's handsome. Mist certainly seems to.

**Tori**

Stuttery and quiet. A book stoner who beleives her prince will come for her riding a white dolphin. Yes, a dolphin. Her brother, Zavier, is immensely protective of her.

**Sharron**

She looks insubstantial, as if a breeze may blow her away. She stays at the Inn at night, but she says she doesn't sleep there.

**Lukas**

The womanizer Joshua will one day be. Feel very sorry for Rosetta, folks, as this lecherous poet has his eye on her. Lately, though, he's begun to wonder if there's such thing as a "manizer"... Heheheh.

**Mei**

This fish-loving young woman says she's much older than she looks. But how come she's flat-chested and a bit short, if that's the case? Anyway, she is another one of those villagers whose past is undisclosed. What's with the secrets in this town?

* * *

The Grumpy Old Blacksmith  
**Leo**

Pph. Who cares about this old fart? All he does is talk about that dwarf who trained him. Actually, this dwarf might have meant more to him than just a master...

* * *

The Bathhouse Family  
**Camus**

Buff and taken. Wants to take Melody and move to the city with her. She often argues with him over this.

**Melody**

A bit of a spazz, she loves baths. She'll be having a baby in several months.

* * *

The Storekeeper With A Painful Past  
**Neuman**

Seems to fight a lot with Sabrina. He and Nicholas also share some facial features. Why's that...?

* * *

The Nurse and her Father  
**Lara**

She is always concerned about everyone's health, and constantly worries about their safety. She is very dedicated to helping take care of the villagers. Unfortunately, her constant reminders to stay healthy and out of trouble can grate on the nerves.

**Priest Wesley**

Holds an official Mass on Sundays, but will preach whenever asked. The fate of his poor wife a topic of great discussion in the village...

* * *

The Mayor's Family  
**Godwin**

The mayor. He's a hard worker and is fond of the word "terrific."

Felicity

The sickly daughter of the mayor. She's very pretty - some peg her as the prettiest girl in town - but struggles with illness, and, due to this, cannot fulfil her desires to be dependable and strong, or work hard as she wishes.

* * *

The Other Shopkeeper With a Painful Past and Her Son  
**Sabrina**

She and Neuman, despite their not-so-friendly relationship, often get drunk together. Nicholas, as a result, does not get much governing, but as he's a nice boy, he should grow up alright.

**Nicholas**

D'awwwww, ain't he cute? He thinks he'll marry Ceci some day. He often thinks about what his father could be like. He's never met him - or so he thinks.

* * *

The Rich Family de Sainte-Coquille and Their Maid  
**Jasper**

Big and fat. 8 AM, noon, and 7 PM seem to be his favorite times of the day.

**Bianca**

The snob who demands the world on a platinum platter. Not silver, platinum, and it must be the finest quality. Like Camus, she wants to get out of this town. She likes nothing, and pushes almost all attempts at friendship away. But, truly, she's lonely...

**Tabatha**

An elf with an accent. She covers her ears with her hat, and cares deeply about Bianca. The two are close friends. She also loves all monsters and is firmly convinced that they could get along with humans, elves, and dwarves if effort was made on all parts.

* * *

The Sechs Empire Schoolkids  
**Winnie**

Joshua's half-sister, she is popular, energetic, funny, and much more than you think.

**Joshua**

A womanizer in the making. Winnie frequently has to chastise him for hitting on pretty ladies. Lynette is no exeption.

* * *

Traveling Peddler Who Has A Secret  
**Ivan**

Just some nobody who sells seedmakers. Or is he?

* * *

Doctor of the Village  
Edward

If you are ever ill of health, visit Edward at his clinic. He's incredibly skilled at medecine and is one of few country-side doctors who knows how to safely perform surgery. Edward wants to be a grandfather secretly and recently realized this dream.

* * *

**Calendar** (As much for my reference as yours.)

Dates with no symbol are birthdays or natural occurances.  
Dates with this symbol (*) are celebrated only in the Norad Kingdom.  
Dates with this symbol (~) are celebrated only in the Sechs Empire.  
Dates with these symbols (*~) are celebrated in both the Sechs Empire and the Norad Kingdom.

January  
1st, New Year's Day*~  
3rd, Leo's Birthday  
11th, Full Moon  
15th, King's Day*  
21st, Wesley's Birthday  
26th, No Moon  
27th, Sharron's Birthday

February  
9th, Full Moon  
14th, Lover's Day*~  
16th, Royalty's Day~  
18th, Tori's Birthday  
24th, Lukas's Birthday  
25th, No Moon

March  
1st, Spring Festival*  
9th, Jean's Birthday  
11th, Full Moon  
17th, Green Man's Day*  
23rd, Malsuerte's Birthday  
26th, No Moon

April  
1st, April Fool's Day~  
3rd, Melody's Birthday  
9th, Neuman's Birthday, Full Moon  
25th, No Moon  
30th, Russel's Birthday

May  
9th, Egg show*, Full Moon  
10th, Mother's Day*~  
13th, Persephone's Birthday  
21st, Big Cook-Off*~  
24th, No Moon  
30th, Day of the Fallen~  
31st, Emmet's Birthday

June  
1st, Summer Festival (a.k.a. Beach Opening)*  
7th, Full Moon  
9th, Jasper's Birthday  
21st, Father's Day*~, Solstice  
22nd, No Moon  
24th, Bianca's Birthday

July  
4th, Show Your Colors Day*  
6th, Cecilia's Birthday  
7th, Full Moon  
9th, Zavier's Birthday  
22nd, No Moon  
24th, Dairy Show*  
31st, Lady Ann's Birthday

August  
6th, Full Moon  
9th, Godwin's Birthday  
18th, Treasure Hunt*  
20th, No Moon  
26th, Joshua's Birthday  
31st, Nick's Birthday

September  
1st, Fall Festival (a.k.a. Harvest Festival)*  
2nd, Mist's Birthday  
4th, Full Moon  
15th, Felicity's Birthday  
18th, No Moon  
22nd, Equinox  
30th, Mei's Birthday

October  
4th, Full Moon  
6th, Tabatha's Birthday  
12th, Camus's Birthday  
18th, No Moon  
21st, Moonlit Eve*  
31st, Hallow's Eve (called Halloween in Sechs Empire)*~

November  
2nd, Full Moon, Rosetta's Birthday  
12th, Wool Show*  
16th, No Moon  
25th, Winnie's Birthday  
26th, Day of Thanks*  
29th, Fishing Day*~

December  
1st, Winter Festival*  
2nd, Full Moon, Lara's Birthday  
12th, Sabrina's Birthday  
16th, No Moon  
22nd, Lynette's Birthday  
23rd, Edward's Birthday  
24th, Sacred Night*  
25th, Day of the Souls*  
31st, Full Moon, Raguna's Chosen Birthday, New Year's Eve*~

Solstice= Either of two times of the year when the sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator. The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere occurs about June 21, when the sun is in the zenith at the tropic of Cancer; the winter solstice occurs about December 21, when the sun is over the tropic of Capricorn. The summer solstice is the longest day of the year and the winter solstice is the shortest.

Equinox= Either of the two times during a year when the sun crosses the celestial equator and when the length of day and night are approximately equal; the vernal equinox or the autumnal equinox.


	2. Chapter 1

**At The Summit****  
****Part one - Sechs Empire  
Chapter One**

_December 23rd_  
Edward's Birthday  
My husband, Connar, has finally convinced me to start a journal. I do not approve of journals, but I decided to humor him. I suppose I should start with my physical appearance, yes? I am a little bit smaller of stature than most women my age, twenty-four. My hair is cropped short and is naturally pink. I do not know how it came to be that color, which irks me. I am not fond of things I know little of. My eyes are brown, but the left one is faded in color, because it is blind. I keep it covered with an eye patch around everyone but Connar, who, ironically, was the one who blinded me...

Lynette's Diary

_A teenage girl named Lynette stood in the rain, the wind blowing her soft pink hair into her face and around deep, velvety brown eyes. She exhaled, listening to the symphony made by the rolling thunder, moaning wind, and pounding rain. She watched the lightning dance across the sky and illuminate her surroundings with an unearthly glow. It was truly beautiful, and her favorite weather._

From the corner of her eye, she saw a boy her age slip into the forest. His brown hair and rich chocolaty eyes were familiar to her, as was his slim physique.

Connar.

What was he doing out in this weather? He didn't share her love of it. Lynette decided to follow, saying a quick prayer to the hunting goddess, who could follow anything without being heard.

Connar proved difficult to follow. He took many detours and would often double back. Wherever he was going, he didn't want to be followed.

Of course, that only made Lynette try harder.

Just as the ground started to slope upwards, the rain and thunder let up and the sun shone. Lynette thanked the weather god and she suspected Connar did too. Going up a stone-covered hill in the pouring rain was not her idea of easy.

Finally the pattern of oaks and trees thinned, and Lynette saw that they had come to the summit of a small mountain. That made sense to her aching legs. She rubbed them, trying to take the edge off the pain. Just as they were starting to feel good enough to walk out of her hiding spot on, Connar plopped down onto the mud, and his hand started to glow green. Lynette paused, disconcerted, and was even more confused when the boulders in the clearing rose into the air and began spinning around Connar, about seven feet above the ground, they went faster and faster, until Lynette got dizzy trying to track them with her eyes. She wondered if it was safe to proceed.

Deciding it was, Lynette got up and walked under the ring and behind Connar, meaning to surprise him. She placed a hand on his shoulder, but next thing she knew, she was knocked back onto the ground and something hot and sticky was trickling onto the ground from her face. She passed out from the pain. Connar turned around and, seeing what he had done, wailed. At her touch he had sent a boulder hurtling towards what he had thought was an attacker, but he wound up nearly killing the girl he loved.

Loved. He knew that now. Up 'til now he'd been dismissing his feelings toward Lynette as puberty, but now, when he might lose her, the illusion was lifted. He carried her to the nearest clinic, sprinting the whole way with an endurance he hadn't known he had. She'd pulled through... barely, and she had last sight in her left eye. The scars, surprisingly, were unnoticeable unless you looked very hard and knew they were there. When she'd woken up, Connar had sobbed into her hospital bed how sorry he was...

Often, I think an eye is a small price to pay for a man like Connar. He has given me a truly wonderful life.

On another topic, one that deviates from love, I have been summoned to King Malsuerte's castle for a meeting tomorrow, even though it will be Christmas Eve, a night when most people stay at home with loved ones. Admittedly, I am excited about the meeting. It has been three years since our spy was planted in Kardia. Maybe we shall be entering phase two of the Grimoire Plan...?

* * *

**Diary of Connar**  
_December 23rd _  
As I sit here writing in my journal, Lenny writes in the one I got her yesterday for her birthday. I bet she's filling it with all sorts of "thou"s and "shall"s. I always say she's too stiff with anyone that isn't me. Then she retorts that she isn't stiff, she's just not an immature pig, like me. And then I tell her she loves me anyways and she agrees. It's quite the life! Our only troubles are who's going to wind up on top of the other each night.

Lenny's got a secret. I've been itching to tell someone, but if I did, she'd kill me – quite literally- so I'll just have to write it down here to relieve myself.

Truth be told, the object of my affections has a girly side to her! For example, she's writing with a fuzzy pink glitter pen and she's wearing pink PJs with kitties all over them.

She's all excited about being summoned to the castle for some "top secret" meeting. I just wish she could stay with me for Christmas Eve...

And now Lenny is telling me its bedtime and snorting impatiently, so I must stop writing for the night.

* * *

"Hurry up, Connar, I'm _tired_," sighed the pink-haired woman exasperatedly.

Connar chuckled and set down his pen, reaching up to tickle his spouse fondly on the stomach.

"I've finished, Lenny-est of Lennys."

"Finally!" she exclaimed, punching his shoulder playfully.

The punch earned her another poke in a different ticklish spot, which called for a light smack upside the head.

"You'll regret that," Connar growled happily.

He jumped on Lynette, his hands crawling around her like spiders and ruthlessly attacking her most ticklish spots until she was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe and there were tears in her eyes. When he was finally finished, Connar gave an apology in the form of a kiss, which of course had to be accepted with a kiss.

"Hmm..." Lynette muttered. "Perhaps the sleeping could wait?"

Lynette got up, then grabbed Connar's hand and helped him up.

"I thought you said you were tired," he teased.

Shoving him so his back was pressing against the wall, she came up close and said, "You just watch how tired I am."

* * *

**Mist's Diary**  
_December 23rd _  
Edward's Birthday  
Sometimes, I have doubt in my mission.

These people here in Kardia have influenced me a whole lot... The way they get everything they need and want from the land and the creatures in it amazes me. All our fancy machines in the Sechs Empire seem pointless now.

Although of course makers and kitchens prove useful... There is an exception to every rule, I suppose. I guess that's not really true in math or algebra, though, is it? You always have to follow the set method in those classes. When you're traveling, I wonder if it's always best to take the same route each time.

On the topic of the Sechs Empire, people have been pulling jokes about its name lately. It's pronounced "Zeck-is", but of course it looks like it's pronounced... well, you get the gist of things.

On another note, Mei and Bianca nearly got into a cat fight today. Apparently Mei was telling Bianca how young and immature she was which she says to nearly everyone. So of course Bianca retaliated with, "Who are you calling young? You can't talk, you flat-chested fish!"

This was very harsh... but true! Mei has a strange obsession with fish, and she's less than developed... I wonder if maybe she had breast cancer once…? It would be such an interesting story. Well, at least she's well and healthy now, even if she is a flat-chested fish.

Lucky for Bianca, Bianca's father, Jasper, walked in at that very moment. He could have crushed Mei by sitting on her, so she just slunk away.

And now it's nearly midnight. How could I lose track of time so quickly...? I really need to get some sleep; I wake up at six...

Ugh.


	3. Chapter 2

**At The Summit**

**Part One - Sechs Empire**

**Chapter Two**

**Lynette's Diary  
**_December 23rd_  
Sacred Night

Apparently I shall be spending the week at the castle before the meeting. I am not sure why they want me so long for an event that will only take a few hours. Connar wasn't very happy about it either. The messenger I sent told me that he had cursed terribly.

Idiotic pig. My husband, of course, not the messenger.

I know what he would have said if I'd called him that aloud.

"Ahahah, but you love me yet!"

And it is true. I even love his flaws. I love the aggravating nicknames he gives me, how silly he gets when he is drunk, and even that queer magic he has that blinded my left eye.

But enough love. The palace is just as I remember. Cold marble floors and stone walls, halls lined with tall metal suits of armor that seem to leer menacingly at anyone who happens to walk by, you get the picture.

I am anxious to hear why I have been summoned. I cannot help but hope we are launching into phase two of the Grimoire Plan.

Three years ago I requested an audience with King Malsuerte, and although I was just some lowly woman, he heard me. I told him of a plan I had devised in my head as Connar talked about the Grimoire and how it resided in Kardia. The Grimoire Plan. One good, loyal spy would be sent into Kardia. This spy turned out to be Mist. She would worm her way into the villagers' affections. On the third anniversary of her parting –which occurred about nine months ago-, we would prepare to put phase two into action. We would erase the memory of our ablest mage and place him or her in Kardia, near Mist's house. When Mist saw the mage, she would rush out and convince him or her to take over a farm.

What many people don't know is that when you harvest crops, you can store up a little magical energy, which would help us in the end. Mist would, after a time, begin to convince the mage to get passes to caves from the mayor and battle the monsters we placed in there. This also is something that stores up a little magical energy, and the place where the need for our tool to be a mage becomes clearer.

All mages have a special connection to the legendary Grimoire, a dragon that has been sleeping for several millenniums. When they gain magical energy, some of it is funneled into the Grimoire. How much depends on how powerful the mage is. The more powerful the mage, the more energy is funneled to the Grimoire. Legend has it that once the Grimoire has gained enough energy, it will awaken.

We knew that the Grimoire was in the most dangerous cave of all, and that once the mage had reached that cave, the Grimoire would be near consciousness. The monsters he had yet to defeat would complete the process. With the Grimoire in our hands, we will have awesome power. No nation will defy us!

The king liked my plan. We put it into action, and in these three years, I have risen in status from, "just some lowly woman" to "Major Lieutenant Commander Lynette". Connar is unsure of how I did it yet. Heheh.

Did I really just ink down the word "heheh"? Connar's lack of ceremony is rubbing off on me...

* * *

**Connar's Diary  
**_December 23rd_  
Sacred Night

I miss my Lenny! And it's only been a few hours. When that messenger came to tell me I wouldn't have her returned to me for an entire week, I bet the neighbors could hear-

* * *

_A few minutes later_

* * *

Another messenger. For some reason, I've been summoned to the palace as well. What's the king cooking up now?

* * *

Back in Kardia, Mist sidled up to the calendar and peeked at it.

"December 24th," she sighed. Doing some math in her head, she figured it'd been about 3 years, nine months. Had they aborted the mission?

Lately, her whole body had been tense. She was always waiting, and in winter she couldn't farm, a thing her many peasant friends from the past had tought her, to pass the time. She rolled her shoulders, trying to stretch the kinks out, and decided she needed a nice, steamy bath. She grabbed her grooming items from around the untidy house and dropped them one by one into a large bag with a pattern of turnips on it. Mist had made it herself.

She stepped out of her home and greeted the crisp air with a sigh of relief. Looking up at the sky, she saw the moon, nearly full. Once it was, it would be called a Blue Moon. She reached up to it as if she were going to touch it. Her long, thin fingers created a silhouette against the moon's bright light, and in a strange way, it was beautiful.

Suddenly a cloud covered the moon up, enveloping it in grayness, and the spell broke.

She let her hand drop to her side and began to walk towards the town. Passing over the sturdy brown bridge and into the farm, she cast a guilty glance about. Not being worked all winter, the field was covered with stumps and fallen trees and boughs, and the tougher weeds that could withstand winter's harsh climate creeped all over the field. The farmhouse was small and falling apart.

She hurried past the neglected farm and into town. It was cozy and picture-perfect. Windows glinted and showed the warmth inside each house or shop, and bright, happy signs announced opening hours. All the houses and shops had flower pots lining the walls, although right now they were filled with snow. Everyone was getting ready for Christmas.

Heading up a flight of steps, Mist turned to her left. Walking a ways, she turned to the tall bathhouse… and the door opened and smacked her in the head.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Melody gasped, helping her up.

"It's okay, accidents happen!" Mist told her, then asked, "Why the rush? I thought you were open. Did you pour too many bath salts in the tub again? I keep telling you, if you use too many, they might get mad and turn into some kind of monster…"

Melody smiled unsurely and said, "Um, okay… I'm closing early because I need to see the doctor."

Of course, her husband as of a few weeks ago, Camus, chose to come down the stairs at that moment.

"Oh, you're back already, Melody? I thought it took longer than that to -"

Mist cut him off by loudly and uncomfortably clearing her throat. He saw her and turned tomato red. Melody sighed.

"No, I haven't gone yet. I accidentally hit Mist in the face with the door."

Melody and Mist chuckled a little and Camus roared with laughter, embarrassment forgotten.

"Good, because I decided that I _did_ want to come along."

Melody told Mist, "You should come with us!"

Mist consented and made their way to the clinic, chatting and laughing, mostly at the strange things Mist said. They got there right before closing hour, and Dr. Edward answered the door.

Melody was getting nervous again and asked, "Can I see Lara?" Lara was the nurse and the priest's daughter, but she wasn't very judgmental.

Doctor Edward nodded and called her over, then bustled over to his desk, playing with his beard and moustache. When Lara came over, Melody hurried up to her and whispered something in her ear.

Lara giggled and called the doctor. Seeing Melody shift her weight uneasily, she told her, "It's not a bad thing. I mean, you're married, after all! Besides, Doctor Edward is your family now!"

Melody didn't seem reassured, but she smiled thinly. Doctor Edward handed her a box and a large glass and told her what to do, and she headed to the bathroom. After a couple minutes, she walked out, dazed. Camus and Edward rushed over and she said something to them.

Edward roared, "Congratulations!"

Their joyful behavior caused Melody to warm up, and she started jumping up and down, squealing and hugging Camus. He and Edward began chuckling at her silly behavior.

Camus turned to Edward and said, "Hey, Dad, this means you're a grandfather!"

Edward shook his head and said solemnly, "No, no, no, I'm too young and devilishly handsome."

This made the group crack up, and it took them more than five minutes to calm down. Melody wiped tears of laughter from her eyes and asked Camus, "What do you want to name him? Or her?"

Camus took a moment of though, then reached out and tweaked his wife's nose.

"If it's a girl, Harmony," he said, smiling. "All I need in my life is a melody and the harmony that binds me to it."

Melody snuggled close to him and buried her head in his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck. Watching them, Mist felt a queer ache in her heart and decided it was time to go home. She said her goodbyes and walked out the door, back into the cold night air. _They have a real family now… They must be so happy. It's as if their gift for the Day of Souls came early._


	4. Chapter 3

At The Summit  
Part One - Sechs Empire  
Chapter Three

**Lynette's Diary****  
**_December 30th_

Oh, Gods, what have I done? In my plan, we would remove the memory of our ablest mage.

The person chosen for the job was Connar.

Oh, gods above, that sentence took an hour to write.

Tomorrow, Connar will not remember me. He will simply be gone from my life, a great, festering hole where my heart should be.

I cannot write at the moment. I do not want the pages of my journal to be spoiled by my tears.

* * *

A pageboy came to Connar's quarters bearing a scroll from the king. The message was short and simple.

"Come to the throne room as soon as possible."

Also enclosed was a nicely accurate and labeled map of the palace so Connar could find his way.

Connar set off immediately, for he was really a bit curious as to why he was wanted at a meeting, and why he had been summoned to the palace at all in the first place.

As he entered the room, he could hear the wispy echoes of his boots slapping against the floor. He looked about him and saw a domed ceiling with cherubs and angels painted on it, and cold stone pillars lining the walls. In two gilded thrones sat King Malsuerte and his queen, the Lady Persephone. Connar's eyes wandered towards the circular table that was in front of the royal couple, where two other people sat. One was the very round and very red chief advisor, who looked a good deal like Santa Claus, but Connar didn't notice him. His eyes had fallen on someone he knew much better then the other three people around him. Lynette, hearing his footsteps, swiveled her head in his direction. Her eyes widened and she buried her face in her hands, trying to choke back tears.

Connar was feeling very confused and wary at this point.

"You sent for me, your Highness," he stated in a guarded manner.

"So I did," the king replied in a smooth, dangerous voice. You would have expected the same voice to come from the snake that tricked Adam and Eve into eating the Forbidden Fruit, if you believe that story. Even if you don't, you get the point.

The king told Connar about the whole Grimoire Plan, but Connar didn't like it. On the contrary, he grew more disgusted with each word.

"Never! You expect me to- to- give up my memories? My entire life?" he bellowed at the king, furious. "I refuse to participate!"

"Ah," Malsuerte purred, "I thought we might hit this little snag..."

Lynette had curled herself into a ball, tucking her knees up and hiding her face in them. She wrapped her arms tightly around her shins, as if she was trying to keep herself from falling apart.

Connar yelled, "Snag? I see no snag!"

The king laughed lazily, but cruelly. "You have no choice. You will participate. Guards!"

Several iron-clad shoulders with emotionless faces grabbed Connar. He fought, but he had no weapons and he was sorely outnumbered. Lynette was sobbing at this point, and hating herself for it. Finally, the helplessness of it all crashed onto him, and he let the guards drag him to a prison cell. He shouted in a strangled voice, "Lynette!" He though he heard a ghostly echo of "Connar…" But he couldn't be sure, and he would never be sure.

Once in the prison cell, he punched the nearest wall, nearly breaking his fingers. How could everything go so wrong? And why him? Why him and his family? Lynette's face swam in his mind, tantalizing but untouchable. He threw himself on the cot, with half a mind to suffocate himself using one of the lumpy, uncomfortable pillows or the scratchy blanket.

* * *

**Mist's Diary  
**_December 30th  
_New Year's Eve

Sooooo, Melody is pregnant! She, Camus, and Doctor Edward were all so happy. It did make me feel a little strange though, watching their family grow in size. I never did remember having a family. I grew up in an orphanage, where my father had abandoned me as a baby without my mother knowing.

The orphanage was a terrible place. They never even told me my name; instead I was "Hey, you" or "girlie."

I always knew I was different. Sometimes weird things happened around me. On a festival day while I was watching the parade, one of these abnormal incidents happened while the king was passing in his grand carriage. He saw me among the other orphans, and since he possessed some magical gifts as well, he knew I had power and that I was the one making mist swirl around his cart and his alone. He found me a few days later and took me in, naming me Mist because of what I did during the procession.

Many people say King Malsuerte is cruel. This is true now, but back then, he was the kindest man you would ever find, the reason he took such pity on me. However, power has corrupted him.

I am straying off topic, aren't I? Well, back to the point, Melody's stomach is already bigger, just a little, although it's only been a month. The family really wants it to be a girl, because they have a special name picked out that would only fit a girl. I'm sure they have a backup name if it is a boy, though. I've always liked the name James… Yes, James would work quite nicely.

Camus told me that she's already eating weird things and getting a little loopy. For example, shortly after eating spinach mixed with melted chocolate, she chased Ceci and Nicholas around the village screaming, "I'll get you, my pretties! And your little gemstones too!"

Camus is handling it all pretty well. But that doesn't surprise me because he can laugh anything away. Gosh, he and Melody are perfect for each other. I wonder who the next match will be.

I bet it'll be Tori and Russel, despite their age difference. Those two librarians have a love made in novels.

...Yes, that was a bad joke.

I also heard from Lady Ann the Lucas is chasing Rosetta, but that doesn't seem a likely match. Rosetta hates his guts, and besides, he's a pervert. I remember him talking about Rosetta and bikinis last year during the Beach Opening Festival. I was scarred for life.

But I suppose I shouldn't be so judgmental. He is a healthy young man, after all. And he could always shape up.

Lady Ann also tells me (Goddess, she knows everything!) that Mei and Ivan have been getting kind of close. I think they're a good pair, since they're both travelers and they have a lot of things in common. And I'm sure Mei doesn't feel like an old lady around him because apparently he's a year older than her.

She failed to mention Zavier, though. I've been crushing on him lately, but I'm somewhat glad that I don't know how he feels, because there's that whole thing about me being a spy plotting Kardia's downfall and all... I really want to defect to their side, but I'm still having a hard time in deciding. After all, the King did rescue me from that terrible orphanage.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. There'll be food and drinks and games, and we'll gather in the Town Square at night to count down to the New Year. We'll drop a ball and have fun and talk! I just hope Sabrina and Neuman don't get too drunk...

Last year I won the apple-bobbing contest, so I think I'll enter again.

I hope there'll be turnips at the snack booth...


	5. Chapter 4

**At The Summit****  
****Part One Sechs Empire  
Chapter Four**

_December 31st_  
Blue Moon, New Year's Eve  
It is the eve of a New Year, but I, sadly, have nothing to hope for. I see now, more then ever, that all my hopes and dreams were connected to Connar in some way or form.

Lynette's Diary

He is being sent into the small village, Kardia, today. It is getting easier to talk and write about now, although it still rips me apart. People have started asking me why I keep my arms wrapped around myself. I never have a good answer. I cannot tell anyone, "I am trying to keep myself together," now, can I?

As I said before, Connar will be sent into Kardia today. Mist will find him, amnesiac and needing a home. She'll settle him down on her farm. And there is nothing I can do about it. I am helpless, and it infuriates me. This isn't the way I want to see myself.

Why must this happen to Connar and me?

And yet, the fact that it did has taught me a very valuable lesson.

Even if someone other than Connar had been chosen, his or her loved ones would be put through this torture I have been going through. How is that just?

I will never plot such a thing again.

The rest of my thoughts are dark and depressed, or, rather, more so than the rest. I cannot taint these pages with them, so that must be the sign to stop writing.

* * *

Armor-clad guardsmen walked to Connar's barred cell door and opened it, jingling the prison keys. Connar slowly and drearily moved his eyes from the dirty ceiling and to the faces of the guards.

One of the guardsmen said roughly, but not unkindly, "C'mon, up and out you go."

Connar nodded dimly and pushed himself off the rickety cot, his face still blank. His complacency slightly unnerved the guards, who had expected to have to carry him kicking and screaming to the lab. To be safe, however, one of the guards handcuffed Connar to his wrist.

Their caution was unneeded, as it turned out, and they dropped their "package" off at the laboratory without any incidents. Connar took his injection calmly, and within five minutes of it, was knocked out cold. The scientists and medical professors loaded him onto one of the new-fangled contraptions called "helicopters" and flew him over the border. Mountains and rivers that Connar would never get another chance to see zipped by, merely streaks of gray, green, brown and blue, until they finally reached a clearing they could land in.

The carted him out of the helicopter and dumped him off of the stretcher about half a mile away from Mist's residence.

He came to at around midnight.

Sitting up and wiping his coffee brown hair from his face, he muttered, "Where am I?" He looked himself over. His brow furrowed and he added, "More importantly, _who_ am I?"

He was suddenly overcome with dizziness. He doubled over and threw up, then fell down into the snow and looked around. Fever began to haze his vision after a time, but he thought he was in some kind of farm.

After a few minutes more, a young woman walked nearby. Connar opened his mouth and out came a strangled sort of howl. The girl squeaked and jumped in surprise, but, after seeing him, extended a hand toward him. He grabbed it and pulled himself up with her help.

He leaned on her shoulder. He didn't know who she was. All he knew was that an angel was helping him in this time of need. She didn't even seem to mind that sick was staining her pastel blue dress orange as she helped him to her home.

She lay him down in her bed and fluffed the pillows up. Then the girl grabbed a rag and dipped it into a bucket of water, then wrung it out and placed it on Connar's forehead.

Then she ran out of the house. Connar waited in a daze. This bed was so soft, and she'd done a good job fluffing the pillows. How could she hold so much kindness in one heart? He was just beginning to nod off when the girl ran in, her white-blond hair tousled by the wind.

She was followed by a strange-looking man with a huge beard and moustache. He walked over to Connar and took his temperature and pulse, then did a few other things that Connar was too tired to pay close attention to.

Connar drifted off shortly after hearing the pretty young woman, his savior, venture tentatively, "Will... will he be okay?"


	6. Chapter 5

**Fun Fact- I was _going_ to have Camus want to name his and Melody's kid "Chihiro"! Here's the list of reasons.**

**1. Pretty name.  
2. It's Japanese, which helps make some of the more foreign names to readers- like Raguna- a bit less out of place.  
seen the movie, "Spirited Away"? I think it's in book and manga form, too... Well...  
4. The main character's name is _Chihiro_. She is an 11 or 12 year old girl who is _dead-set against her parents' decision to move_. (Camus wants to go to the city, remember?) On their very moving day, her father gets them lost and they go exploring. Her mother and father fall prey to greed, eating the food of spirits, and are turned into pigs. _Chihiro_ secures a job at a _bathhouse_ (Come one, you should get this one on your own...) that serves spirits and gods to buy time in order for her to rescue her parents- before they're pork instead of pigs! Luckily, she has the help of Haku, who remembers Chihiro although he _remembers nothing else about himself_. (Like Raguna!)**

**At The Summit****  
****Part One - Sechs Empire  
Chapter Five**

_January 1st_  
It is a New Year now. For some reason, I feel compelled to write in here on festival days like these.

Lynette's Diary

Today was _not_ a pleasant festival experience. I entered the food-eating contest, referred to among peasants as the stuff-your-face game, not knowing that we would be eating shrimp-and-spinach quiche.

I. Threw. Up. At the mere smell of it!

And there is something wrong with me that causes the little to become big and the big to become catastrophic. For example, if I sneeze, I keep on sneezing and eventually I come down with a cold. So when I puke... I wind up as sick as a dog a few hours later.

Oh, joy. The flu.

I've already taken some medicine, and hopefully in about half an hour I will be crashing on the couch. Usually Connar would be flitting about the house, making me comfortable, but he is gone.

Gone. Missing. Removed. Taken. Detached. Stolen. There are so many ways to say it. It reminds me of one of my favorite songs, a country one. I do like country music, despite its informality. Connar got me to start listening to it.

Why must everything link to him? It hurts so badly, and contrary to the popular belief, the pain isn't dimming.

Oh... did I mention? I'm back at home, and everything reminds me of him, especially the bed. I think I must go to that now, though. The medicine is kicking in, and I'm going to fall asleep at my desk if I don't stop writing.

* * *

_"Father?"_

Silence, other than a menacing chuckle.

"Mother?"

"Sweetie? Sweetie where did you go? Sweetie, come back!"

"Mommy! Mommy, I need you!"

"Sweetie? Albert, where is she? Where's my baby?"

Another spooky snigger.

"Mommy! He's leaving me all alone! Help me!"

"Albert! Albert, did you do something? Give me back my baby!"

A low hiss, followed by an exploding noise. A woman screams, as does the young girl.

"Mommy! No!"

Mist bolted upright, sweat flooding from her pores. Spying her diary nearby, she snatched at it and peeked at the clock.

**Mist's Diary**  
_January 2nd_  
I had that dream again. I'm a little girl surrounded by darkness. All I can see is black, but I can hear a man and a woman. I think they're my mother and father. I call out to my father, but he just laughs a dry, echoing laugh. It frightens me, so I call out to my mother. She replies, in a way. She talks, but she can't seem to hear me, or see me, no matter what I do. I can tell she's scared, and I'm scared too. I try to tell her I need her, but she still can't hear me.

Instead, she turns on a man named Albert. My father. She asks him where I was, but he laughs again. I shout out that he's taking me away, and I think I'm talking about my father. As usual, my mother doesn't hear. She accuses my father of doing something to me, and then- and then he shoots her. I scream but I can't do anything about it. That's always when I wake up from the stupid nightmare.

This time I woke up shortly after midnight. It's the second day of the New Year. Surely that calls for a special meal. Turnips with curry? Yes, that sounds nice.

Doctor Ed says that the mage I found should be well by spring. Apparently it was an allergic reaction, and I'll bet anything that it was the stuff the Sechs scientists gave him. But all I can do is give him a pill at six fifteen AM every day. I can't figure out why it has to be that certain time, but I guess the doctor knows best.

And now I'm yawning again. I just hope I don't have another nightmare. It'd be your classic case of "out of the frying pan and into the fire".

* * *

Mist set her diary down on the hard wooden floor and lay back into her make-shift nest, closing her eyes. But the sounds of her nightmare still rang in her ears, and she couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned for hours. Finally she cracked open her sleep-deprived eyes and peeked at the digital clock. It read 5:59 AM, but after a second or two, changed to 6:00 AM.

_That's it, I'm up_, she thought in surrender, lifting her head from her arms.

She stood up. The hem of her nightie, which had ridden up to her hips and exposed her thighs and underwear as she flailed beneath the blanket, fell back down to her ankles. She cast a glance at the bed-ridden mage, hoping he wasn't awake to see the view.

Ironically, she caught him staring at where her thighs had once been, with an embarrassed expression on his face. Seeing her look, he tried to avert his eyes.

Her face flushed in anger and she said dangerously, "You saw nothing!"

He blushed and turned his face to the window.

"Where am I?"

Mist filled him in, explaining, "My home. I found you in my farm and helped you over here. Then I got the doctor. He said you could get up and about in the spring."

"Oh," he replied shortly. He didn't seem to be the conversational type.

Although she knew how the mage would answer, Mist asked, "What's your name?"

The mage sighed and told her, "I was hoping you would know."

"So... you don't know who you are?" Mist ventured, playing her game very well.

There was a reason she was a spy.

"No."

"Well, what _do_ you remember about yourself?" she queried, faking an incredulous look.

There was a long pause. The mage seemed to be racking his brains.

Finally, he muttered, "Nothing."

"Nothing?! Well, first thing's first, if you going to stay here 'til you're well, I need something to call you. Why don't you pick a name?"

The mage kept staring out the window, not saying anything. Mist cleared her throat loudly.

He sighed, and then explained, "I'm trying to make it as close as possible to whatever my name used to be. But it's tough remembering."

"Ooooooohhhhhh," Mist said, drawing the word out, then she giggled, "That's the longest thing I've ever heard you say!"

Once again, the mage was silent. It almost aggravated Mist, and made her want to do something radical to gain his attention. Her thoughts wandered around the path of ideas, trying to find the best way. A few would definitely get his attention, but were... outlandish or more than a little perverted. Finally his voice interrupted her thoughts.

"It either started or ended with 'r'. And there was an 'n' somewhere."

Mist scanned her vocabulary. "Raguna?"

"Could be."

"Well, that was the name of my best friend back in the orphanage, so it's easy to remember. You now have a name. Congrats!"

"Okay." You could hear the shrug in his voice.

Mist decided that maybe it was time to launch into the Grimoire Plan.

"Hey, you know that farm I was talking about? The one I found you in?"

He rolled over and puked into his barf-bin, then nodded, wiping sweat from his forehead.

"Once you're well, you'll need a place to stay, right?"

"I couldn't possibly take your farmhouse. It's rude," he said bluntly.

"Don't you worry; it'll be a fair deal. If I give you that house, you have to help me run my farm."

He hesitated, but nodded.

That was it. She'd done it. She owed the King this much, even if he was corrupted now… Didn't she? Had she just done the wrong thing?

"Great!" Mist beamed, then peered seriously at Raguna. "But for now, concentrate on your health. That reminds me, it's time for your pill..."

She went to leave the room and grab the meds, but Raguna grabbed her arm, saying, "Wait! I never got your name."

She smiled and told him, "Mist."

* * *

"Hello Tori. You're at work early today!"

"O-o-oh!" A girl with glasses and a long blonde braid whirled around to face the speaker, causing her pink, fluttery dress to swirl.

She found a purple headed man in a kimono typical to scholars and monks walking towards her. He was also bespectacled.

"M-mister Russel... I-I was just looking... for you..."

She knew she was blushing a little. Despite their age difference, which wasn't too bad, she was a little fonder of Russel than she would be of a good friend.

He almost looked a little pleased and said, "Really? What do you need?"

"W-well... I was reading a book about other places and their time-honored festivals yesterday... and I thought that it would be pleasant if there were a music festival in this town... but I'm so shy around... everyone but... y-you... and my family… so I was wondering if you could run the idea by Mister Godwin instead of I..." she stuttered out.

Russel's eyes widened and he exclaimed, "Tori, that's a brilliant idea! Why has nobody thought of this before? Come; let's go to the mayor's home! Ceci doesn't usually wake up before nine, so we have plenty of time."

Ah. That was right. Ceci. Tori was certainly fond of her, but it made her sad to look when Russel and his daughter were together. She pitied that she could not be his first, his only love.

Not that she was a love at all anyway. Maybe, someday, Russel would tell her how Cecilia's mother died.

He swept out of the library and into the dewy morning, the edges of his robes fluttering from the movement. Tori walked out timidly to find Russel waiting for her at the door. The strolled up a couple stair steps and Russel, who was unwittingly under Tori's gaze, gulped and reached out for her hand. Tori grabbed it happily, her bashfulness forgotten, and they looked just like a couple.

Finally getting to the mayor's house, Russel reached out with his free hand and knocked. After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal a funny-looking Felicity. Her hair was a mess, and she was wearing a loose-fitting rainbow shirt. Her pajama pants were baggy from the knees down and had little ducks printed all over them. Tori smiled fleetingly at the girl, who she knew relatively well.

Felicity went slightly pink, but said, as polite and sweet as ever, "How can I help you?"

Russel, having agreed to do the speaking, inquired, "May we speak to your father?"

Felicity nodded and let them in.

Godwin, looking quite comical in his pajamas, was on the sofa reading the paper. He looked up and cleared his throat embarrassedly.

"Ah... Tori and Russel... You caught me and Felicity in the typical morning rush," he chuckled.

"Yes... Sorry about that, but Tori had a brilliant idea, so we decided to come tell you about it."

Godwin's interest piqued and he said, "An idea? The sooner, the better. What is it?"

Russel smiled and simply stated, "How about a music festival?"

Godwin's eyes widened, and he exclaimed, "Terrific! We can do it a week from today... I'll have to spread word. Why has nobody thought of this before? Tori, I need to do something special for you. What would you like?"

Tori muttered something unintelligible.

"Sorry? Didn't catch that."

When Tori spoke up, her voice was not stuttering or shy.

"All my life, I've been cushioned and kept cozy." She met Russel's eyes, held them, and continued, "There's only one thing I've ever wanted that I don't have. It came around about five years ago, tired of war and carrying a small child in its arms."

Russel looked happy. And dopey. He looked dopey happy.

"Tori... W-will you marry me?"

Tori giggled and said, "This time _you_ stuttered!"

"Is that a 'yes' or a 'no'?"

Tori reached on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

"Do you have to ask?"

Felicity, who had gone upstairs and dressed, slipped out the door and went to all the houses, doing what prim and proper ladies like her did best. She went and spread the gossip around town.


	7. Chapter 6

**At The Summit****  
****Part One Sechs Empire  
Chapter Six**

**Lynette's Diary**

_January 10th_  
Those who are monitoring Connar tell me his new name is Raguna and that he is recuperating from a severe allergic reaction to the chemicals that the military doctors used to eradicate his memory.

He could have died! Why didn't anyone bother to check his allergies list? Wait, I know the answer. Cold-blooded, everybody is cold-blooded in this gods-forsaken underworld.

There is nothing left for me here. Why does everything have to change? In my world everything was superb. I couldn't desire anything more. I had a loving husband, a soft bed to sleep in, first-class food to eat, ale to drink, a fine roof over my head, a fortune of cash, and so, so, so much more. Any change would have been - was – for the worse. I wish I could go back and change the past so I could get away from this wretched, throbbing pain.

But how would I do it?

What could I do?

I'm considered influential in the military, but I am truly powerless. Getting mixed up in political affairs renders you that.

I feel as though someone with a mammoth fist has punched a hole through me, so now I am wrecked, damaged, only just held together. And the piece that's begun to pain me most is that I can forget about it all now. Just yesterday I actually smiled!

Look, I wrote a poem to expel my feelings:

Grief consumes me  
as the fire takes the flower.  
Withers it, smothers it,  
kills it before its hour.

And the part that is the saddest,  
that makes me tears stream on,  
is that nobody at all  
cares for my petals gone.

I feel so... so... _emo_! And to make matters worse, I have to sub for a _junior-high class_. Ugh... I _hate_ kids, and I don't care if I used to be one. They're snot-filled, clingy things and they always do the opposite of what they're told to. I have to _teach_ mini-devils!

Oh, joy. It's time to go to school.

* * *

"Romeo, take me someplace we can be alone  
I'll be waiting, all there's left to do is run"....

_Love Story by Taylor Swift_

* * *

Mist was trembling as she made her way to the Kardia Inn. The weather was sub-zero outside and she wasn't wearing any winter gear whatsoever, but this was not the reason for her shivers.

Mist was nervous.

She opened the door of the Inn to have a number of pleasant things embrace her. First of all, the temperature inside was the toasty, cozy, perfect kind of warm that can come from only a gaily crackling hearth. The warmth reached for her, encasing her and enveloping her like a bedspread. Also, the fragrance was of brown sugar and apricots and pine tree sap. The smell drifted into her nose, soothing her to the point of drowsiness.

Lastly, the person Mist was looking for was on the top floor of this building.

"Mist! Here so early, huh? As you can see, we still gotta get rid of our Christmas tree," Ann said to her.

Mist let out a small '_eep!_' and jumped, her sleepiness and relaxation gone. She had never been able to get over the fact that Ann was nobility.

"Yes, milady!" she squeaked out.

Ann sighed in mock exasperation, but with a kind sparkle in her eye.

"It's 'Ann', Mist," she reprimanded, chuckling a bit.

"Yes, milady! O-oh! I mean... Ann." Mist was always on the edge around the innkeeper of the village, who had been nobility until she had been stripped of her status for marrying a commoner. Most people still called her Lady Ann, although she insisted otherwise.

"So, what's your business?" Ann pretended she hadn't heard Mist slip up.

_Okay, deep breaths, just chill..._ Mist told herself, and then said, "Um, if he wants, can Zavier hang out with me today, mila- Ann?"

"I don't see why not. He's upstairs, so go ahead and run the idea by him."

Mist hastily thanked Ann, forgetting to not talk to her formally, and ran upstairs, taking the steps two at a time.

She cast a glance about and, seeing that Zavier's door was ajar, poked her head into his room and said, "Boo!"

He was lying on his bed, but at the sound of Mist's voice, he flew quite a few feet into the air, flailing his arms and legs about. When he landed, he bolted into a sitting position, his eyes flickering around the walls covered with posters of famous actresses and singers like Emily Matson and Kylie Myrus until they landed on Mist, who was doubled over with laughter. He relaxed a smidgen and said, "Mist! You scared me!"

Mist wiped tears from her eyes and said, "Oh... that... was so... _rich_!"

Zavier grunted, pulling headphones off of his ears and turning his CD-player off.

"Whaddaya want?" he asked grumpily.

Mist pouted, "Awwwww, you aren't _really_ mad, are you?"

Zavier mouth turned up at the corners, although against his will. He ruffled her hair and said, "No, Mist. How could I be?"

"Good. You wanna hang out with me today?"

Zavier's smile got bigger, goofier, and much more lovable.

"For sure!"

"Awesome!" Mist exclaimed, hoping she didn't sound too enthusiastic.

"Just lemme find my shoulder bag..." Zavier muttered, searching the mess he called a room.

When he was looking directly at the bag without seeming to see it, Mist began to giggle. Soon, she was laughing once more. Zavier gave her a look that said, "I'd-tell-you-I-don't-know-you-but-then-you-wouldn't-tell-me-why-you're-laughing."

Still laughing, Mist pointed to the bag. Zavier looked, and his face turned rosy. Mist kept on chuckling.

But suddenly her silly laugh was cut off by Zavier's lips. Her eyes opened wide with astonishment, but then closed with enjoyment. She smelled an earthy, but not unclean, scent from his hair, and minty cologne. She sighed out of her nose and intertwined her fingers with Zavier's, leaning into his kiss at the same time.

When they at last broke apart after what seemed like several golden years, Mist suggested, "Let's get out of here."

Zavier seemed mildly surprised. "You mean, out of this town?" he worried.

Mist laughed and said, "Well, if you want..."

"Mist, I dunno about that..."

"You dummy, of course I mean let's go somewhere we can be alone."

"Oh."

"Zavier, sometimes I wonder why you're blonde-ish..."

"Why, thank you."

"...And sometimes I think it's totally appropriate."

"Hey! You're blonde too!" he said loudly.

She ran down the staircase and called out, "Not stereotypically!"

Zavier chased a snickering Mist downstairs and called out, "See you later, Mom!"

He then proceeded to run out the door. Mist was waiting for him and succeeded again in making him jump a mile high out of fright again. After a brief kiss, they made their way to only Zavier knew where.

"Where are we headed?" Mist asked, curious.

Zavier shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at her, letting his hair fall into his eyes a little.

"Someplace you'll like."

After a while, Zavier noticed Mist shivering.

"Are you cold?"

"A little. You don't n-"

Without warning, Zavier scooped Mist up into his arms, causing her to squeal in surprise. The extra weight didn't seem to bother him in the least, so she buried her face in the folds of his shirt.

They walked on in silence for a few more minutes, until Zavier suddenly stopped in his tracks. Mist looked up and saw the mouth of a cave awning in front of her. Zavier set her down and happily stepped into the shadows, jumping over the small, sorry excuse for a mote.

"Misty Bloom Cave," he told her.

She smiled, but then was quickly sobered up when she realized something.

"Don't we need a pass?"

Digging into his pockets, Zavier brought out a small, ornate card that had the word "PASS" in big letters on it.

"Got it yesterday."

Without further hesitation, Mist stepped into the shadows with Zavier. As they made their way far enough in to see the lakes, she gasped.

"It's so beautiful..."

"Just like you," Zavier murmured, wreaking havoc with Mist's emotions.

So instead of trying to express them with words, she leaned in and kissed him softly, shortly. He returned the favor, but more passionately. She could hear him sigh and tilt her chin up. She could feel his hands rubbing up and down her back, his fingers tracing the ridges of her dress's zipper.

* * *

"Baby, you're all that I want,  
and you're lyin' here in my arms.  
Findin' it hard to believe  
we're in heaven.

Love is all that I want,  
and I find it there in your arms.  
Is it too hard to see?  
We're in heaven."...

_Heaven, artist unknown_

* * *

Lynette strode out the door and out of the neighborhood, stopping at a nearby general store. She bought an abundance of chocolate bars, taffies, hard candies, and more, figuring she could chuck candy down a rabid brat's gullet in order to appease it if it ever turned on her.

She used her hips to push open the door because her hands were full of bags with a glut of candy in them. Luckily, the bags weren't overly heavy, so she made it down the dirt path to the small junior high in no time at all.

She entered the classroom she'd be teaching in and looked around. Once she had gotten her bearings, she stashed the candy in an unused drawer, then plopped herself down in the cushy, important-looking teacher's chair.

Finally, the bell rang and a class filed in. One girl was obviously the leader. She was talking to everybody, and everybody was talking to her. She was loud and lively, and she had a sort of untamed beauty about her. She had a tumbling, thick, curly mane of golden locks and strange but not evil looking red eyes. She was dressed in baggy cargo pants and a plain white tank top. She looked to be thirteen.

She stood up and cleared her throat. The class impressed her by immediately falling silent. Lynette cleared her throat again and began speaking.

"Hi, I guess I'm your sub today. Technically, you _should_ call me..." Lynette paused here, unsure of how to continue and hoping her pain didn't show in her eyes. "You _should_ call me Mrs. Lynette, but that makes me feel old, so just call me Lynette. I guess I take roll now?"

The class nodded to verify, so Lynette picked up the list of names from the desk.

"Winnie Aaron?"

The blonde Lynette had noticed earlier, who was tilting her chair onto its back two legs, thrust a peace sign in the air and lazily said, "Here."

"Joshua Abler?"

A tall boy with suntanned skin, dark eyes, and dark hair that fell attractively over his face spoke up.

"I'm right here, babe."

Lynette frowned, but continued, hastily finishing roll call. She then glanced down at the notes the teacher left for her. Math was first, and today they were learning about inequalities.

"Does anyone here already know about inequalities?"

Both Joshua and Winnie raised their hands. Figuring Joshua would only answer decently if he managed to hit on her in the same breath, she called on Winnie.

Winnie said, "An inequality is stating that..."

Here Winnie stopped, and Joshua, uncalled for, began.

"a variable or an equation containing a variable..."

Again they switched.

"is greater than, less than, greater than or equal to..."

"or less than or equal to a number. For example..."

"let's say, x is less than four."

Lynette's gaze lingered on them, and after a moment, she asked, "How are you two related?"

Joshua said, "Chillax, babe, she's my sister from another mister."

Lynette curbed the urge to say that Kylie Myrus was a terrible influence and continued teaching.

* * *

Winnie once more leaned back in her chair, balancing it on its two back legs again. She let some of her hair fall over her eyes and glanced at her older half-brother. She lazily pushed a thought in his direction.

_'How many times must I tell you not to call every good-looking girl or woman "babe"?'_

'Several.'

She grinned, and was about to reply when they both heard the pink-haired, sad-eyed, good-looking sub say something they hadn't expected at all.

"Jonas has thirty-eight less girlfriends than twice Melanie's boyfriends. Jonas has seven or less girlfriends. How many boyfriends does Melanie have?"

Stunned, Winnie asked Joshua, '_Did you_ hear _that?'_

Obviously amused, Joshua said, '_Yeah. The answer is that Melanie has twenty or less boyfriends. But I never thought a math problem would interest me.'_

She suggested, _'Let's raise our hands!'_

They did so, and the sub called on them.

Winnie, as usual, began.

"The answer is that Melanie has..."

"...somehow acquired twenty...

Winnie finished with, "Or less boyfriends."

The sub smiled on them and said, "Correct, Psychic Siblings."

* * *

The minute school was over, Lynette had gone to the principal and asked to be allowed to teach permanently.

The balding, chubby man had said, "I wish I could... but the fact remains that I can't... Not without ascertaining that you have the necessary credentials."

Lynette had told him, "The kids hate the lady you've got right now; they told me so." "Besides," she had added, "I'll do it for free."

The principal had put on a big, cheesy grin like you see in toothpaste commercials and said, "You're hired!"

So now Lynette steps out of the shower and dries the cool water droplets off her smooth, clear skin with a soft towel. She dons a pair of pajama pants and a matching pajama shirt. She jumps on the bed and hits the radio, thinking; _maybe I can be happy again after all._

* * *

**Lynette's Diary**  
_January 10th_

Even though fire took the world  
In time it grew again  
Even after winter's cold  
Springtime, flowers grow then.

Winter's snow or fire's wrath  
Neither shall I forget  
But I must keep going down life's path  
And my cheeks just can't stay wet


	8. Chapter 7

**At The Summit****  
****Part One – Sechs Empire  
Chapter Seven**

**Lynette's Diary**

_January 21st_  
Wesley's Birthday  
I cannot believe I ever thought those kids would be brats! I absolutely love them! Especially Winnie and Joshua, although Joshua hits on every single female he encounters, not excluding myself. They intrigue me.

I actually enjoy teaching and the class is delighted that I've become a permanent replacement. I looked at their grades and asked them what kind of assignments they had done and they said that every day they had an essay on something that wasn't yet covered or had only been explained briefly. And the poor things don't even have textbooks to refer to! No wonder they're all failing!

So, since that accursed Grimoire Plan- may I die and burn in the fiery depths of the underworld- made me rich, I've bought each student a set of textbooks for each kid to keep at school, a set of textbooks for each class to keep at home, and some extras, just in case. I've also invested in classroom decorations, to give the drab room a bit more life.

I got perfectly delightful decorations. I actually bought almost a dozen dancing dolls. If you press a button on the head of a nerdy-looking teacher, it starts to sing "Math Sucks" by Timmie Tuffet! And, while it sings… it bends over and begins to wave its rump in the air! I also got a flower that wiggles around and sings 'Fill Me Up, Buttercup." They're all very amusing.

I also purchased posters that really make you think. I have one that says,

"often comes after you need it.

Wisdom"

These kids… I don't know how they do it, but they make me happy. I wish I had one of my own. But my, for lack of a better word, mate, is gone.

Of course, it still hurts to think of him. But now, the pain is different somehow. I suppose it's… mmmm. I'm not sure. Whatever it is, it's easier to forget, and happiness comes more easily.

I've got new ways of looking at things. The way I see it, Connar has been erased from this world. Completely gone. He doesn't exist anymore. And this Raguna person is somebody new. I don't know him, and probably never will. It's easier to think of it that way.

I should probably head to school. I'm going early so I can set up all the decorations before any of the kids arrive. It's so odd, but I can't wait to see their faces.

* * *

**Mist's Diary**  
_January 21st_  
Wesley's Birthday  
So scared. So sad.

8 days ago. I was waiting for it. But it never came. My period.

And that day in Misty Bloom Cave… I know what that all could mean.

I'm a wreck. I know I am. I don't eat. I don't sleep. I don't talk. It's gotten so bad that Raguna, the wordless wonder, asked me if I was all right yesterday.

* * *

_Mist sat at the table, her hands grasping her knees tightly. She stared out the window, her gaze never faltering. She rocked back and forth humming a child's nursery rhyme at a fast pace, in an almost panicked manner. Raguna, through the doorframe leading to Mist's room, which he was bedridden in for now, had a side view of her. What he could see looked haunted._

"Mist."

She didn't look at him, or even waver in her humming and rocking.

"Are you okay, Mist?" If she didn't answer this, he wasn't going to bother any more than he already had to get her attention.

The humming stopped. The rocking ceased. Mist just sat there for a while. Then she opened her mouth.

Like her eyes, her voice was haunted.

"I don't know," she answered in a cracked whisper. "I don't know."

* * *

I need to see Dr. Edward, I know, but I'm not married. What if I really am… that? I won't be able to hide it forever. So I guess the visit's inevitable. I'm going to leave in a few minutes.

I've officially defected to Kardia's side. As if it weren't obvious. But I've already set things into motion. How can I stop it without revealing myself? Maybe if I told Raguna only? But he might tell someone else. How can I stop this?

Zavier doesn't know.

What can I do? What should I do?

Right. I should go to the doctor, for now. The rest can wait. Big breaths… I will walk to the clinic. I just hope he won't tell anyone… if I'm

* * *

Doctor Edward was roused from his sleep by loud pounding on the oaken door downstairs.

"I'll get it," He grunted to his son, only to remember that Camus lived above the bathhouse with his wife now. "Coming!" He called loudly to whoever was outside.

Grabbing a robe and slipping into it, he hurried toward the door and opened it, hoping it was nothing serious. Instead, he saw Mist.

Her white-blond hair was messy, with dozens of knots and snares in it. Her eyes looked tormented and under them were dark circles.

Her mouth quivered, seeming unwilling to open. When it did, she shakily formed the word, "Hi." Her voice was only just above a whisper.

"Mist!" Edward gasped, horrified by her condition. He grabbed her elbow and brought her in from the cold. "What's wrong? Are you sick?"

Mist shook her head slowly, then muttered something unintelligible.

"I'm sorry, Mist, but these old ears didn't hear that."

"I... think... I..." She clawed at her face, and then said the next words in a rush. "N-needapregnancytest."

Poor Edward blinked, his mind coming to a complete standstill. Mist was among the last people he expected to say something like that premaritaly. As his brain booted up again, he went and fetched a box for her, told her what to do, directed her to the bathroom, then backed off. She did as she was told, with a white face.

He took to pondering who the boy was. He knew it wasn't Camus, or Russell, whose wedding with Tori was going to take place in a little over a week. As far as he knew, Mist had little contact with Lukas, and Ivan was hardly around. Which left…

Of course. Zavier. Edward sat into his swivel chair. Everybody knew he and Mist had a thing for each other. Rosetta was particularly jealous of her for it, having been heart-broken when Zavier dumped her a few years ago.

The same year Mist had come, in fact.

Mist's cough pulled him back to reality. She was standing in front of him with her hands behind her back.

"What were the results?" he asked, staying calm for her sake.

Embarrassed, she muttered, "It looked more like a division sign than a plus sign…"

Sighing and standing up, he placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Mist."

She ducked her head. She didn't want to hear it. He knew that. But it had to be heard.

"You're pregnant."

Big, fat tears began to roll down Mist's cheeks. She looked back up at Edward, wiping them away with her sleeve.

"Don't tell anyone," she whispered.

"I'd never. You might want to be alone for now, I suppose, but come to my clinic next Wednesday. Until then, no alcohol, no smoking, no raw fish, and that's about it."

She nodded, then gulped, trying to get rid of the knot in her throat.

Still whispering, she said, 'Okay."

She wasted no time in leaving. Outside, she leaned against the wall of the building, taking a deep breath. She let out a forced, insane little giggle. She guessed she needed to tell Zavier… but she was afraid to. She decided to head home, but when she turned, she found face to face with him, leaning his right arm on the wall next to her.

"Oh, it's you," she said, a little glumly.

Lazily, he said, not seeming to notice her tone, "Hi. I saw you come out of the clinic just now. Everything okay?" He leaned in and stole a kiss from her, before she could react.

Mist said, stuttering the whole way, "A-about that… I… I have something r-really i-i-important to… to t-tell you."

He grinned, teasing, "You're starting to sound like my little sister. Out with it!"

Mist could see she might cry soon. She didn't want Zavier to see her like that. Not that he hadn't already, but this was different. This concerned him. He finally began to catch on to her mood, and the smile slid from his face. He enveloped her in a great, big, hug.

"Mist, what's wrong?" he asked, worry practically dripping from his voice.

He was so honest in his emotions. So expressive… He couldn't pass a lie if he wanted to. Mist hated it. Or maybe she didn't. Did she kind of like it? Maybe it was one of the reasons she loved him. But that would be stupid. Or maybe it wouldn't. She was all mixed up inside. A few tears started to fall from Mist's eyes.

She had to do it. She choked out, "I… am…" Oh, the god-awful word game next. "_Pregnant_!" she practically spat out, then began full-out sobbing into his shirt.

For a second, his grip went slack, but then he was hugging her even tighter then before. He bent his head down and kissed her temple.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his eyes wide.

Still sniffling, her muffled voice reached his ears. "I'm not mad at _you_."

Noticing the emphasis, Zavier asked, "Who are you mad at?"

Laughing a little, she answered, "I dunno. Myself, I think. After all, I didn't exactly push you away, now, did I? Not that I could have."

"What do you mean, not that you could have?"

"Don't you have any idea what you do to me?" Mist's voice was filled with bewilderment.

Still sniffing, Mist grabbed Zavier's hand and pressed it on her heart. He was surprised be how fast it was beating.

"I can't always think straight when you're around. And when you hug me, I'm lucky you're holding me up because my legs turn to jelly. And…" She unburied her face from Zavier's chest, attempting to smile. "And when our eyes meet, I can't breath."

He smiled back at her, although his was also forced.

She pressed her cheek to his now-soaked shirt, whispering, "I'm scared."

"If it makes you feel any better, so am I," he agreed.

A silence followed. It was not uneasy, but it was not content, either.

It could not even be rightly called a silence. They could hear each other's heartbeats, and their own. With each passing second the pulses became louder.

Finally, Mist wondered aloud, "What are we going to do now?"

"Get married?" Zavier suggested.

Sure he was joking, Mist giggled.

"I cry, you cry, I laugh, you laugh, I propose, you laugh even harder, huh?" Zavier remarked dryly, in an almost wounded manner.

Eyes wide, she looked back up at him, her mouth slightly open. "You're kidding."

Zavier shook his head fiercely and said, "No! I mean it!"

Holding her hand with one of his and fishing for something in his pocket with another, he went down on one knee. Mist stared down at him, bemused.

Finding what he was looking for, he stared intensely at her.

"Mist, will you marry me?"


End file.
